1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus and computer implemented method for process modeling. More particularly, it relates to an apparatus and method for using both a web server and a workflow server in process definition.
2. Background Art
As business processes become more and more complex, planning and managing all the activities and resources involved in getting a job done become more challenging. Tracking the flow of work through an enterprise requires time and diverse skills and knowledge.
These challenges can be reduced by using a well-documented workflow model to automate business processes Automating such processes can save an organization time and money by presenting the right activity to the right person at the right time, supported by the information and the programs to perform the activity Such a workflow model may contain business regulations which need to be enforced.
The IBM FlowMark (TM) workflow manager is an example of a workflow server that provides for automation of business processes. It integrates the tasks performed by computer applications with the everyday tasks of staff members.
The FlowMark manager includes a buildtime module and a runtime module.
The buildtime module provides for defining, graphically depicting, and documenting models of the processes; assigning staff members to the activities in the processes; associating OS/2, AIX, and Windows programs with particular activities; and animating workflow models to test them.
The runtime module provides for starting processes that have been translated from buildtime; managing processes that are already started; starting activities that running processes make ready; transferring activities from one user's work list to that of another; and tracking processes and the status of activities assigned to staff members.
FlowMark provides as many separate FlowMark databases as are needed. Upon logging on to the FlowMark workflow manager, the user specifies which databases are to be accessed. An advantage of multiple databases is that one database may be used for developing and testing workflow models, and another one used for executing tested models and operational processes.
The FlowMark workflow manager normally runs as a distributed application on local area networks that consist of several workstations, in a client-server configuration One or more workstations act as FlowMark servers, and the FlowMark clients run on other workstations. It is possible, however, to have a FlowMark server and clients on one (stand-alone) workstation.
The IBM FlowMark product is one example of a workflow product. It uses the FlowMark definition language (.fdl) to define processes. Other workflow products represent processes in different process definition languages. For example, the Action Technologies (AT) workflow product represents processes in .ama files. Yet other workflow servers include the IBM AS/400 Workflow Automation Facility (WAF), and FileNet. A problem with such workflow servers is that processes defined for one workflow server product cannot be run on a different workflow server. Further, none of these process definition languages are directly compatible with internet access and world wide web browsers; that is, they have no hypertext markup language tags.
The internet is the worlds largest computer network. Such a network is a network of interconnected computer networks. The World Wide Web is a system for accessing text, programs, pictures, sounds, movies and so forth over the internet via a simple graphical interface. Two key protocols supporting the World Wide Web (WWW) are the HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and the HyperText Markup Language (HTML). The Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is a word and data processing and presentation format by which words, references to files, and references to internet resources are presented to a user. HTML is the protocol by which information is exchanged between an HTTP server and a web browser. Hypertext is a document that contains uniform resource locators (URLs), or hypertext markup language (HTML) tags, which are hot links to other documents, data, and programs that can be accessed using a web browser.
A typical usage scenario would have a user activating his or her web browser and pointing it (that is, giving it an address) to a source of information, such as a document The HTTP server accesses this information and returns the document to the browser. The browser then correctly displays the information to the user. That information may include URLs (typically, highlighted text) which the user may activate (click on with, for example, a cursor controlled by a mouse) to access yet further information at the same or yet another source.
There is a need in the art for connecting internet (specifically, the world wide web) web servers and workflow servers.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a workflow server which utilizes the resources of the internet, including hypertext tags.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a workflow process model translator whereby web flow servers and workflow servers both participate in process definition.
Yet further, it is an object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus whereby processes described by one workflow server in accordance with a first process definition language may be modelled and executed in a second, different process definition language.